Auditory Verbal Therapy

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Many children across the age range have auditory association goals. Auditory association is the process of attaching meaning to something heard by relating it to previously learned information. For example, if a child hears shoes he says socks or dog - dogs bark, wag their tail, eat bones… based on previous experiences. By targeting auditory association children learn new vocabulary, concepts and language then store these new experiences for future LSL learning (auditory memory and recall).

For young LSL learners after being introduced to the holiday often by reading a well-chosen book we transition and talk about things that go- together. For example, Daddy and Mommy (if appropriate). We play with my boy and girl stuffed Hallmark Bears that have hidden magnets in their snouts. When they come together the magnets attract and they kiss! This leads to a whole discussion involving hugs & kisses etc.

Then we introduce the Go-Together toys and talk about each one. The size of the set and the specific toys are dependent on the child’s LSL level). For example, a table, an umbrella, candles, a spoon, a toothbrush, and so on. To keep with the Valentine theme the toys could be a valentine and an envelope, flower/rose and a vase...The associated toy is hidden from the child's view. Through hearing alone the parent and I take turns saying something along the lines of “I have a chair. I'm sitting on a chair....etc. What goes together with a chair? – Either the child chooses the “table” or we model the correct match. Yes, the table and chair go-together.

It is important to ask -Why? Once again we model the “because” as needed. I have the child put the set of go-together objects either in a Valentine bucket or mailbox.

Congratulations Courtney Huellen on her recognition by the Illinois State University CSD Department· January 28. Courtney "would like to earn the Listening and Spoken Language certification from AG Bell after she graduates with her master's degree because working with people who have hearing loss is something she is passionate about. Courtney’s dream job would be to serve on a pediatric cochlear implant team as the SLP and help children reach their Spoken language goals!...At ISU she has served as both the secretary and Vice President for NSSLHA. She has also volunteered with Alpha Phi Omega and Choose to Shine. During spring break 2017, Courtney had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Spain!"Courtney is the oldest of four children. Two of her siblings have Usher's Syndrome, are Listening and Spoken Language SUPERSTARS and hear with cochlear implants.Courtney's sister Brittany is one of my AVT graduates now a freshman in college pursuing special education as a teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing.

I am proud of these sisters and their desire to give back making it possible so other children who are deaf or hard of hearing learn to listen and talk, which powers language, literacy, and lifetime success.

Friday, January 26, 2018

On Jan. 25, 1915, Alexander Graham Bell, made the first transcontinental telephone call from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco over a 3,400-mile wire.

Years earlier in 1876, at the age of 29 Bell is widely credited with the revolutionary invention of the telephone a device that turned sound into electricity then back into sound.

In 1956, the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf was developed, with the aim to “help with aspects of living with hearing loss such as early diagnosis in children and providing resources to parents who wish their children to learn speech (and speech-reading/lip-reading) in order to ‘thrive in mainstream society’.”

We have come a long way and today as LSL makes it possible for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn to listen and talk, which powers language, literacy, and lifetime success.

Monday, January 15, 2018

One of my favorite winter activities is snow listening bins. Sometimes I bring snow inside and we play and talk about the characteristics of snow (cold, white, freezing, melting…) but this is a short-lived LSL activity. I model this as a fun home activity. So in our LSL sessions, I fill a bin with white styrofoam packing peanuts and include a mini snow shovel. I hide well-chosen winter based vocabulary objects such as a snowman, little mittens, a sled, a polar bear, an ice skater and so in. The objects coordinate with the vocabulary goals and often associate with a storybook.The parent/caregiver and I take turns cueing the child to listen. Then using AUDITION FIRST we either make a related L2L sound, talk about the object or for a little older listener describing the hidden object. The child hears the sound/words before seeing the toy which provides ear contact before eye contact. Next, we sing a short repetitive song about shoveling the snow and the child begins to dig and uncovers the toy. The connection is made between what was described and the object. Depending on the goals we may then use the toys and recreate pulling a sled up a hill and sliding down, ice skating and more.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Monica Faherty wrote, "In June, 2017 I attended the AG Bell Listening and Spoken Language Symposium where I heard Rehab Audiologist Lynn Wood give an excellent presentation on her favorite games. So I dug up that information, looked at all the games and decided to purchase Tall Tales on Amazon."

Tall Tales Story Telling Board Game

The Family Game of Infinite Storytelling

Rule-the-School's mission is to foster the independence of students with hearing loss through self-advocacy. The blog is authored by Monica Faherty, who received an M.S. in Speech Pathology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, PA and an M.S. in Education of the Deaf from Central Institute for the Deaf, Washington University, St. Louis.

According to Monica Faherty, there were several reasons that I chose. Tall Tales Story Telling Board Game

√ It is a simple concept – the student picks at least 8 objects out of the bag one at a time and tells a story as she goes along.

√ The interest level is appropriate for a wide age range. I needed something to use with my 12-year-old working on complex language as well as a new 5-year old that I’m evaluating.

√ It can be used with widely different language levels.

√ It can be used to teach early literacy vocabulary such as setting, character, beginning, middle and ends of stories, as well as phonological awareness targets such as stating the beginning sound in a word used, giving a rhyming word or segmenting a word used. The activity can be video recorded to help with this.

√ It can be used to gather a spontaneous or narrative language sample in a fun way that is different every time you use it.